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America Fires the Most Powerful Laser In History
The United States' National Ignition Facility at the Lawrence Livermore National Lab in California has fired the most powerful laser in history, a record-breaking 2-megajoule shot. The laser was originally designed to reach 1.875-megajoules, but beat everyone's expectations—and set a new world record in the process.

192 laser beams combined to form the single shot, initially reaching 1.875 megajoules. By the time it passed through its final focusing lens, the laser maxed out at 2.03 megajoules, making it the world's first 2-megajoule ultraviolet laser. Better yet, the blast caused less damage to the laser optics than predicted, which allowed the facility to fire another shot just 36 hours after the 2.03-megajoule one.

How it works
It all starts with a single laser, which is split into 48 separate beams. The beams

Only a short time till we get a real Death Star...Mwaaahaaaaahaaaa!

Gun Control: The theory that a woman found dead in an alley, raped and strangled with her panty hose, is somehow morally superior to a woman explaining to police how her attacker got that fatal bullet wound - Unknown

I find lasers amazing. I remember the first one I ever saw. at the Ontario Science Center, and the beam the machine produced was about the size of a wide rope. They used it in a demonstration to burn words onto pieces of wood. This would have been in the mid 70s.

Last week, I had my teeth and gums deep-cleaned at the periodontist's office. The hygenist used a fine laser to clean the gums. The surgical incisions from my gall bladder surgery in the 90s were made with a laser. Something that we all thought was dangerous and scary is now applied to just about everything, except destroying planets. Yet.

"Should I keep back my opinions at such a time, through fear of giving offense, I should consider myself as guilty of treason towards my country, and of an act of disloyalty toward the Majesty of Heaven, which I revere above all earthly kings..." Patrick Henry